■Doomsday script
Doomsday(2008)
/ by http://www.imdb.com/
DOOMSDAY
By
R.J. Smith
WGA Registered
#1552312
rj@rjsmithproductions.com
(212) 365-4234
FADE IN
“It’s not a question of if Cumbre Vieja collapses, it’s
simply a question of when.”
Dr. Simon Day, Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre,
Department of Geological Sciences, University College,
London, UK.
FADE TO:
EXT. OFF THE COAST OF CANDELARIA - MORNING
SUPER: Candelaria Spain.
Descending from the clouds and towards the seaside coast of Candelaria.
EXT. BASILICA OF OUR LADY CANDELARIA - DAY
Cheering spectators line a road leading to the basilica.
A Papal motorcade stops at the entrance as ANDERSON COOPER
steps in front of a CAMERA MAN who points at Anderson.
CAMERA MAN
Three, two and... you’re live!
POPE CALLIXTUS, 59, steps from the Pope-mobile and makes the
sign of the cross
SECURITY TEAM MEMBERS and CARDINAL JONATHAN, 45, follow the
Pope.
ANDERSON COOPER
The popular Spanish Pope has just
arrived here at the Patron Saint of
the Canary Islands for what has
been dubbed the seaside salvation
of souls.
Suddenly an earthquake shakes the scene and the basilica
crumbles to the ground.
Cardinal Jonathan pushes the Pope towards the Pope-mobile.
EXT. ROQUE DE LOS MUCHACHOS OBSERVATORY - DAY
SUPER: La Palma, Spain.
The William Herschel Telescope trembles and collapses in on
itself.
A parked Single Engine Airplane trembles on a short blacktop
runway.
INT. A RESEARCH ROOM - SAME
A group of researchers and DR. TISH HARRIET, a sexy yet
hardened 50-something, struggles for balance.
An alarm beeps and a red EARTHQUAKE light flashes upon a
wall.
PROFESSOR CHRIS GROSSMAN, a scholarly man, late forties,
enters the room and glances at Tish.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
Notify GDACS and locate Professor
May, immediately!
Tish picks up a phone and dials a number.
TISH
This is the Palisades Hydrophone
Station at Cumbre Vieja Volcano.
We are at this moment experiencing
a quake!
EXT. ICELAND GEOLOGICAL BASE CAMP - MORNING
SUPER: Grimsvotn Volcano, Iceland
An American Geologist, WILL SQUIRE, late forties, stares into
the ground where a monitoring device lies half buried.
A Jeep Wrangler quickly approaches from Grimsvotn Volcano
erupting in the distance.
An Englishman, DR. SAMUEL MAY, a happy go lucky 50 something,
pulls the Jeep to a stop beside Will.
Sam jumps from the Jeep and chuckles while pointing back at
the volcano.
SAM
(English accent)
She’s all action and no talk, I
tell you! Day six of moaning and
groaning!
2.
WILL
That’s what you get when ya mess
with girls.
SAM
Huh? What’s that?
WILL
Never mind, Professor! Women are
women, even when they’re volcanos!
SAM
Oh, Yes! You have learned a thing
or two.
A United Nations helicopter swoops out of the sky and lands
in a swirl of dust.
SAM (CONT’D)
What the hell is this? Haven’t you
told them to stay out of our
testing area?
LARRY MAGLEY, 30-something, leaps from the aircraft, hits the
ground and hurries to Sam.
LARRY MAGLEY
Professor May? I’m Larry Magley
with the Global Disaster Alert and
Coordination System over at -
SAM
- The United Nations, yeah, yeah.
How are things back at GDACS?
LARRY MAGLEY
Madam Under-Secretary General
requests your presence, sir!
SAM
Karin Soma sent you to pull my
chain, did she? What is it, then?
What’s biting her rump?
LARRY MAGLEY
It’s Cumbre Vieja, Professor.
WILL
The Old Summit?
3.
LARRY MAGLEY
(to Will)
The orientation of vents and feeder
dykes within the volcano have
shifted during a quake.
WILL
It’s a lateral collapse.
SAM
Son of a gun!
They hurry beneath the spinning blades and jump into the
chopper just before it lifts into the sky.
INT. U.N. HELICOPTER - SAME
Will and Sam sit in the back of the chopper beside Larry
Magley who’s busy speaking into a satellite phone.
WILL
Tish is still in La Palma, isn’t
she?
SAM
I’m afraid so.
WILL
Sam, are you all right?
SAM
I’ll be fine. Sometimes I wonder
why we do this, working in two
separate parts of the world, each
not knowing what’s going on with
the other.
WILL
It’s gotta be rough.
SAM
Are you getting it on with a lassie
of your own?
WILL
No, of course not! I don’t get it
on! Well, not seriously.
SAM
What then, you’re not a twink are
you?
4.
WILL
Of course not! What would make you
think that?
SAM
I simply inquired if you were
getting it on with a lass and you
went dramatically GLEE on me. What
should I think, then?
WILL
(dramatically)
I’m not acting dramatic!
SAM
It’s called show business for a
reason, right?
WILL
I’m not a twink and I don’t sing.
SAM
It doesn’t really matter, does it,
in the grand scope of our impending
disaster?
EXT. ICELAND - KEFLAVÍK AIRPORT - DAY
SUPER: Keflavík International Airport, Iceland.
Larry Magley stands on the top air-stair by a jet bearing the
seal of the United Nations.
At the bottom stair Sam speaks to Will.
SAM
You have to lay it out again to the
Prime Minister, Will. Show him the
data and our scenario. He must
close the Underground.
WILL
I’ll get it done, Sam.
SAM
I’ll have the United Nations and
GDACS deal with the American
President and the French.
WILL
Good luck with that! What about
Allen Edward? Is he going to be
there?
5.
SAM
Snob. I’m sure his Royal Highness
of Her Majesty’s Navy can’t wait to
see me.
WILL
Who’s the snob? Allen Edward, the
United States or the French?
SAM
Must I choose?
Sam hurries up the air-stairs, then turns back to Will.
SAM (CONT’D)
Oh, Will? By the way, when does
GLEE come on the telly?
WILL
Tuesday nights, eight o’clock.
SAM
See what I mean?
EXT. UNITED NATIONS BUILDING - DAY
SUPER: United Nations, New York
The flags of the United Nations wave in the wind as people
rush along the sidewalk.
INT. UNITED NATIONS - HALLWAY - SAME
Military men briskly lead a group of officials along a
corridor bustling with activity.
Sam emerges holding a cellphone to his ear while staring at
an iPad 2.
SAM
(into phone)
Tish, how long before you’ve
finished in the field?
EXT. CUBRE VIEJA VOLCANO - IN THE WOODS - DAY
Tish speaks into a satellite phone.
Behind her Professor Grossman leads a team of Six Researchers
who carry shovels.
6.
TISH
(into phone)
Sam, we’re making our way to the
transmitting pole. We have to get a
manual reading because the quake
knocked out the station’s AFM
monitors.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
Tish!
Tish peers at Professor Grossman.
Professor Grossman points towards a huge hydrothermal vent
opening right before their eyes.
TISH
(into phone)
Sam? Sam! It’s happening!
INT. UNITED NATIONS - HALLWAY - SAME
Sam stops beside a door with the seal of the United Nations
on it.
SAM
(into phone)
Well, get your rumps off that rock!
He presses the end button and hurries through the door.
INT. UNITED NATIONS - CONFERENCE ROOM C - SAME
A horseshoe dais is occupied by REPRESENTATIVES of the United
States, Britain, Morocco, Portugal, France, Ireland, the
Bahamas, Cuba and Venezuela.
DR. JACK ROBBINS, 60, speaks excitedly to a Stately African
American Woman, KARIN SOMA, mid-fifties.
Jack POINTS a laser at a huge video screen displaying a
satellite image of the Canary Islands.
DR. JACK ROBBINS
(British accent)
That is why University College
London has committed such time,
energy, and, let me remind this
body, the money to run such
research -
Karin cuts him off.
7.
KARIN SOMA
- yes, yes, of course! But what of
the real catastrophic issue of the
day? Be our hero, Dr. Robbins, will
the volcano collapse or won’t it?
The conference room door bursts open and Sam appears holding
the iPad 2 over his head.
SAM
It’s not a question of if Cumbre
Vieja collapses, it’s simply a
question of when!
The Representatives gasp as Sam hurries down the isle and
stands beside Jack.
DR. JACK ROBBINS
Oh, Samuel, thank heavens you have
arrived!
KARIN SOMA
Dr. May, please come forward and
let us hear directly from the
horse’s mouth, as it were.
Sam grabs the laser from Jack and lights up the smallest of
the Canary Islands on the screen.
SAM
Madam Under-Secretary, we await the
birth of a disaster like modern man
has never imagined!
KARIN SOMA
Let it be known for the record,
then?
SAM
We predict the failure of Cumbre
Vieja’s western flank on the Isla
de La Palma.
Loud protests erupt from the Representatives.
EXT. PORT OF SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA - DAY
SUPER: Santa Cruz, Canary Islands.
The port is smoldering and lies in ruins.
A tall ship sinks and crew members are leaping from her bow
into the water.
8.
A tugboat pulls along side the tall ship.
A SAILOR tosses life-preservers to the crew members in the
water.
SAILOR
(Spanish)
Swim! Swim! Grab the life
preservers!
A fog horn blows and the Sailor peers toward it.
A huge cruise ship with VALENCIA painted along its side moves
through the port.
INT. VALENCIA - CAPTAINS BRIDGE - SAME
A bald Hawaiian man, CAPTAIN MAKA, late-fifties, peers into
binoculars.
Tugboat Sailors pull people out of the water and onto their
deck.
Captain Maka lowers the binoculars and glances at a SWEDISH
man, CHIEF MATE FERN NOORD, pushing buttons on a control
panel.
CAPTAIN MAKA
(to Chief Mate Noord)
Set a course, Fern. Get us to
Tenerife!
CHIEF MATE NOORD
(Swedish accent)
Aye, aye, Captain, setting the
course!
EXT. VALENCIA - MAIN DECK - DAY
Hundreds of ship passengers on deck stare at the shoreline.
Buildings are ablaze and chaos is everywhere.
A fog horn blows twice.
EXT. TENERIFE NORTH AIRPORT - DAY
The terminal lies in ruins. The air traffic tower has
collapsed. The runway has huge sink-holes in it.
9.
Earthquake survivors are wandering injured and seemingly in
shock.
A line of Sport Utility Vehicles speed across the tarmac and
stop beside an Italian Navy Agusta Bell SH-3D helicopter.
Security Team Members exit the vehicles and quickly escort
the Pope and his entourage aboard the helicopter.
INT. ITALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER - SAME
The helicopter’s packed with Cardinals and Security Team
Members.
Pope Callixtus sits beside Cardinal Jonathan.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(spanish accent)
Jonathan, how many have we lost to
this tragedy?
CARDINAL JONATHAN
(italian accent)
The numbers are said to be great,
Most Holy Father.
POPE CALLIXTUS
I feel as though I must do
something, say something.
CARDINAL JONATHAN
And so you shall.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(spanish)
Unacceptable.
All eyes are on the Pope who peers out the window.
The Santa Cruz coast lies below until blood explodes onto the
exterior of the window.
The Pope flinches at the sounds of thumping outside the
helicopter.
CARDINAL JONATHAN
(staring at the window)
Holy shit!
POPE CALLIXTUS
Cardinal Jonathan!
10.
EXT. ITALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER - DAY
Thousands of birds crash into the helicopter.
The jet-intake pulls the birds into its WHINING engine and
the helicopter’s flight becomes erratic.
INT. ITALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER - COCKPIT - SAME
A beeping alarm gains the attention of the HELICOPTER PILOT
as the CO-PILOT busily presses buttons.
The Helicopter Pilot picks up the radio handset.
HELICOPTER PILOT
(into radio handset)
Papal Flight 92, we have a Bird
Aircraft Strike Hazard. Mayday,
Mayday!
A VOICE (V.O.)
(static reply)
Roger, Papal 92, we have you on
radar.
HELICOPTER PILOT
I need a landing zone, now!
A VOICE (V.O.)
(static reply)
Papal 92, there’s an Italian cruise
ship with a helo deck at your ten
o’clock.
HELICOPTER PILOT
Roger that, we’re going in.
He glances out his window.
EXT. ITALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER - DAY
The helicopter trails smoke as it descends towards the
outline of a cruise ship.
INT. ITALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER - SAME
The Pope GRIPS rosery beads as the Cardinals whisper prayers.
The cockpit door opens and the helicopter Co-Pilot emerges.
11.
POPE CALLIXTUS
What is happening?
HELICOPTER CO-PILOT
We have experienced avian strikes
and are about to land on an Italian
flagged cruise ship.
POPE CALLIXTUS
A cruise ship?
HELICOPTER CO-PILOT
Yes, Holy Father, it’s the safest
place right now.
POPE CALLIXTUS
Goodness gracious!
INT. VALENCIA BRIDGE - SAME
A RADIO OPERATOR removes headphones from his head, hurries
through the bridge and taps Chief Mate Noord on the shoulder.
RADIO OPERATOR
Sir, we have a helo coming in hard
on the helipad and you’re not going
to believe who’s on board.
CHIEF MATE NOORD
Try me.
RADIO OPERATOR
Shepard One.
CHIEF MATE NOORD
Shepard who?
RADIO OPERATOR
The Pope.
CHIEF MATE NOORD
Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
RADIO OPERATOR
No, just the pope.
CHIEF MATE NOORD
Cute, good timing.
12.
EXT. VALENCIA - MAIN DECK - DAY
MICHAEL, a sweet 12 year old boy, sits in the whirlpool
slurping coke through a straw and staring into the sky.
MICHAEL
That’s cool!
Beside him, his mother, JULIE, 33, tosses back a drink and
waves to an ASIAN WAITER.
JULIE
Yoo hoo! Hello! Margarita, double!
Beside Julie, her flirtatious husband, TONY, 35, holds a beer
and checks out women in a nearby pool.
Neither Julie nor Tony are paying any attention to Michael.
MICHAEL
(pointing into sky)
Chopper!
JULIE
What’s that, honey?
TONY
(winking at girls)
Leave your mother alone, Mike,
she’s on vacation.
Julie notices her husband winking and slaps him in the head.
JULIE
What the hell are you doing, huh?
Don’t pull that Brooklyn street
crap on me!
TONY
What? This is Spain and we’re on
the biggest cruise ship in the
world!
JULIE
What’s that got to do with it?
TONY
It’s a little wink, that’s all I’m
saying.
JULIE
Are you effing kidding me right
now? Anthony, a little wink? That
makes it okay?
13.
The Asian Waiter approaches with Julie’s Margarita.
TONY
(to the waiter)
It’s just a wink, right?
ASIAN WAITER
Hey, I’m neutral.
He smiles politely, hands over the drink and walks away
rolling his eyes.
TONY
(to Julie)
Drink your Margarita, will ya?
MICHAEL
(pointing into sky)
Dad! Mom! Look!
Tony and Julie stare with disbelief into the sky.
TONY
This wasn’t in the brochure.
Michael grabs an i-Phone from the whirlpool ledge and snaps a
picture of the helicopter.
Ship Passengers scream om fright.
JULIE
(to Tony)
We need to go towards the front of
the ship, away from the landing
area.
TONY
What do you know about landing
areas?
JULIE
I saw it on the History Channel.
They sprint through the crowd.
The helicopter hovers erratically above the packed deck. Its
engine spews flames and smoke.
INT. CAPTAINS BRIDGE - SAME
Captain Maka and a deck officers peer through the bridge
window.
14.
The helicopter crashes onto the helipad in a ball of flames.
EXT. VALENCIA HELICOPTER PAD - DAY
The helicopter lies in flames on the helipad as its rotor
blades whine to a stop.
Deckhands smother the flames with foam.
INT. VALENCIA - OBSERVATION DECK - SAME
Tony and Julie stare through the windows of the observation
deck surrounded by MORE ship passengers.
Michael takes a photo of the smoldering helicopter.
TONY
Ya see that, Mike? Even the Pope
has problems!
JULIE
You’re going straight to hell! You
know that, right, Anthony?
TONY
For what?
JULIE
Talking about the saints like that.
TONY
Whose talking about the saints?
That’s the Pope, and he’s a man,
not a saint.
MICHAEL
Dad, you ain’t going to hell, are
you?
TONY
Nah, don’t listen to your mother.
JULIE
The Pope is a saint.
MICHAEL
(to Tony)
You promise you’re not going to
hell?
15.
TONY
(looking at Julie)
See what you did here?
INT. UNITED NATIONS - CONFERENCE ROOM C - LATER
Sam presents his evidence to the Representatives while
tapping on the screen of the iPad 2.
As he does so images of Cumbre Vieja Volcano appear on the
big screen behind him.
SAM
Hydrothermal explosions are what we
believe are occurring within the
stratovolcano.
KARIN SOMA
(to Sam)
And this will cause a failure in
the flank?
A CGI video plays on the screen, displaying the volcano
before an explosion.
SAM
(to Karin Soma)
Like none we have ever witnessed.
The CGI changes to the volcano exploding and sliding towards
the ocean.
Everyone in the room stares in shock at the screen.
SAM (CONT’D)
Hydrothermal explosions occur where
shallow interconnected reservoirs
of water, reaching temperatures as
high as 250° Celsius, underlie
thermal fields.
KARIN SOMA
Sam, please, in plain English.
SAM
Right, right. In layman’s terms,
the western flank of the volcano
will explode causing a landslide
which will slide into the ocean and
cause a mega-tsunami. It’s all
quite simple really, heat plus
water equals steam.
16.
Sam points at the Bahamian Representative holding a can of
Coke.
SAM (CONT’D)
May I have the coke can, please?
He hands over the can.
SAM (CONT’D)
Imagine this is our volcano and the
liquid inside is super heated water
surrounded by land.
Sam shakes the can.
SAM (CONT’D)
It is undergoing an earthquake
right now. Should we pop the pin
the liquid would flow out of the
top of the can, right?
Sam pulls a key from his pocket, pierces the side of the can
and coke spews out of it.
SAM (CONT’D)
But because our can has a failure
in its side, it is exploding
laterally instead of vertically.
KARIN SOMA
What is the relevance, Sam?
SAM
Well, just like this can, our
volcano has a failure in its side.
It just sucks for us that the
volcano’s western flank is going to
fall into the ocean.
Sam returns the empty can to the Bahamian.
SAM (CONT’D)
Sorry.
KARIN SOMA
But what of the warning systems?
How long do we have from the first
indications?
SAM
My team already received their
warning.
17.
(MORE)
An acoustic-flow monitor, or
A.F.M., has sent a thirty minute
reading and I just learned a
displacement of land mass has
occurred on the island.
Karin glances at U.S. Navy Admiral, LEWIS BRANCOR and a
BRITISH Admiral, SIR ALLEN EDWARD, who sit beside her.
SIR ALLEN EDWARD
(to Sam)
What are we considering here, then?
Some sort of rogue wave heading
towards England?
SAM
Admiral, the United Kingdom is
facing severe flooding and the
London Underground should be closed
immediately.
Sam points to the Representatives as he mentions their
country.
SAM (CONT’D)
However, the larger picture is the
severe threat to western Morocco,
Portugal, France and Ireland. The
Bahamas and Cuba will both cease to
exist as we know them.
CUBAN MILITARY OFFICER
(spanish accent)
What shall you have us do, sail off
to Miami? Absolutely not.
SAM
Miami won’t exists eight hours
after the collapse.
SIR ALLEN EDWARD
(to Sam)
Surely you cannot be serious? All
this from an earthquake in the
Canaries? This is a load of tosh,
professor!
VENEZUELA REPRESENTATIVE
We must consider this more
carefully, I think.
Admiral Brancor clears his throat, nods agreement and taps a
pencil on the table.
18.
SAM (CONT'D)
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
(pointing to Sam)
Professor, you do have some kind of
bottom line -
(pointing to dais)
- for us, don’t you?
SAM
A bottom line?
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
A time-line, a call of action, a
plan we should undertake?
SAM
Capitol Hill met with East Coast,
Gulf Coast and Caribbean officials
in June 2011 to discuss tsunami
warning capabilities and the need
for better preparedness.
An AIDE distributes folders to the Representatives.
SAM (CONT’D)
In those folders you will find the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s recommendations
for the situation we now find
ourselves in.
SIR ALLEN EDWARD
(reading from a folder)
The likelihood of an east coast
tsunami would cause a doomsday
scenario -
(pointing at Sam)
- this is bonkers! What’s this
nonsense?
SAM
I assure you this is not nonsense.
The U.S. National Weather Service
organized the conference.
Sam taps on the iPad 2 and another CGI scenario of the
volcano slides into the ocean causing a splash a thousand
feet high.
The resulting tsunami wave then speeds into the ocean.
19.
SAM (CONT’D)
When this volcano’s flank fails,
the initial wave will attain an
amplitude of six hundred metres
high and will inundate the African
coast at a thousand kilometers per
hour. England will have three and a
half hours until floods inundate
her shores and drown the
Underground.
KARIN SOMA
That’s a wave over a mile high!
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
And more than six hundred miles per
hour!
SAM
The speed of a jet aircraft.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
What can be done to stop it?
SAM
Get your fleets out of the
Atlantic, gentlemen. There’s a
monster heading our way.
PORTUGAL REPRSENTATIVE
(to Karin Soma)
We shall do what is needed to
protect our people, but we must
leave now to prepare.
KARIN SOMA
(to Portugal Rep)
Certainly.
(to the dais members)
And to those of you who need to
leave, please do so at your
leisure, we’ll have no protocol
today.
The Portugal Representative hurries from the room.
SIR ALLEN EDWARD
Preposterous predictions!
FRENCH REPRESENTATIVE
Thankfully you do not speak for the
French, sir.
The French Representative walks from the room.
20.
IRELAND REPRESENTATIVE
I will notify the Prime Minister of
Ireland. He will, as best he can,
start evacuations.
The Irish Representative walks from the room.
SIR ALLEN EDWARD
(loudly to Sam)
You’re causing a panic, sir! This
is an atrocity of misjudgment!
KARIN SOMA
(to Sir Allen Edward)
With all due respect, Dr. May is
here at GDACS’ invitation precisely
due to his expertise in these
hazards.
SIR ALLEN EDWARD
(to Sam)
You’re a disgrace to England!
KARIN SOMA
Or a hero, depending on the
outcome.
BAHAMIAN REPRESENTATIVE
(to Sam)
Is there anything I can tell my
people? Any way for us to survive?
SAM
I’m sorry, but the scale of
catastrophe is too great.
KARIN SOMA
(to the Bahamian)
We will immediately send evacuation
planes to Nassau.
BAHAMIAN REPRESENTATIVE
But what of the other islands,
Madam Secretary?
KARIN SOMA
I’m sorry. You must get the people
to Nassau.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
(to Sam)
And the United States? What’s our
bottom line?
21.
SAM
There will be waves up to sixty
metres. A hundred and ninety seven
feet high, with surges several
metres high. They will wipe out the
eastern seaboard and drown
everything sixteen miles inland.
KARIN SOMA
Oh, my God! My father lives in Palm
Beach.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
Hundreds of thousands will die!
SAM
Tens of millions.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
That’s one hell of a bottom line.
SAM
Rock bottom.
The room erupts with frantic conversations between the
Representatives.
Admiral Brancor pulls a cellphone from his pocket, dials a
number and places it to his ear.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
Get me the President.
The door to the conference room bursts open and a PAIGE
hurries in.
PAIGE
Madam Soma, the Vatican requests
you on the phone at once!
KARIN SOMA
What is it?
PAIGE
The Pope’s helicopter has crash
landed on a cruise ship off the
island of La Palma!
Admiral Brancor hands Sam the cellphone.
SAM
What’s this?
22.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
The President of the United States.
INT. CNN NEWS STUDIO - DAY
The studio bustles with activity as TJ HOLMES stares into a
camera.
TJ HOLMES
Good afternoon from New York. This
is continuing news coverage of the
earthquake in the Canary Islands.
A large screen displays the image of Anderson Cooper standing
in front of the Basilica of Our Lady Candelaria.
TJ HOLMES (CONT’D)
For that report and startling
information regarding the Pope, we
take you live to Tenerife and CNN
International Correspondent,
Anderson Cooper.
TJ turns to the large screen.
TJ HOLMES (CONT’D)
Anderson, what’s going on over
there?
EXT. BASILICA OF OUR LADY CANDELARIA - DAY
Anderson Cooper stands in front of the sink hole containing
the pope-mobile.
ANDERSON COOPER
TJ, the situation here on the
ground is shaky. It was supposed to
be a day of worship and joy, but
for thousands of faithful Catholics
awaiting the blessing of their
Pope, the earth shook beneath their
feet.
A film clip replaces the live report.
EXT. BASILICA OF OUR LADY CANDELARIA - MORNING
The Pope steps from the pope-mobile and glances towards a
flock of birds.
23.
ANDERSON COOPER (V.O.)
As Pope Callixtus was about to
greet his flock and attend the
annual Festivity of Our Lady of
Candelaria’s Ascension of the
Virgin, the faithful ran for
something more sure.
The pope-mobile falls into a sinkhole.
INT. CNN NEWS STUDIO - SAME
TJ Holmes stares at the screen containing the image of
Anderson Cooper.
ANDERSON COOPER
That celebration has been postponed
due to the quake as the Holy Father
was evacuated from the island.
TJ HOLMES
Anderson, we’ll check in with you a
little later. Now to our Foreign
Correspondent, Dan Rivers, who is
in Vatican City.
The image on the screen changes to CNN reporter DAN RIVERS
standing in Saint Peters Square.
TJ HOLMES (CONT’D)
Dan, I imagine things are pretty
tense there in Rome.
EXT. ST. PETERS SQUARE - DAY
Catholic crowds encircle Dan Rivers staring into a camera.
DAN RIVERS
Yes, TJ, that’s a good assessment
here in Vatican City where crowds
are gathering in a vigil for their
Pope who at this hour is stranded
at sea.
A film clip replaces the live report.
EXT. VALENCIA - MAIN DECK - DAY
A JUMPY scene of the fiery Italian Navy helicopter as it
hovers over screaming passengers on the main deck.
24.
DAN RIVERS(V.O.)
It didn’t take long for a teenage
passenger to post this video on UTube
of the Pope’s helicopter
making a crash-landing on the
cruise ship Valencia.
The Helicopter crashes in a ball of flames on the helipad.
DAN RIVERS (V.O.)
Late this afternoon a Vatican
spokesperson confirmed that this
chopper did in fact have the Pope
on board, but that he was not
injured and is stranded at sea.
The clip ends.
INT. CNN NEWS STUDIO - SAME
TJ Holmes stares at the screen containing the image of Dan
Rivers in St. Peters Square.
TJ HOLMES
Has there been any word from the
governing body of the Vatican?
DAN RIVERS
Yes, TJ.
Dan Rivers points towards Saint Peter's Basilica.
DAN RIVERS (CONT’D)
I spoke with the Cardinal
Secretary’s office a few minutes
ago and learned a meeting is
underway.
INT. SAINT PETERS BASILICA - AN OFFICE - SAME
CARDINAL MANNING, 70, hangs up a telephone, pushes aside
curtains and peers at the crowds in the square.
FRANCISCAN MONK (V.O.)
(Italian accent)
What is it, your Eminence?
Cardinal Manning turns and faces a room of CARDINALS, PRIESTS
and MONKS.
25.
CARDINAL MANNING
(Italian accent)
Notify The College of Cardinals.
A FRANCISCAN MONK steps forward.
FRANCISCAN MONK
Cardinal Secretary, what shall be
the message?
CARDINAL MANNING
Tell them to prepare themselves.
FRANCISCAN MONK
Yes, Cardinal Secretary?
Cardinal Manning turns back to the window and stares at the
crowd below.
CARDINAL MANNING
And to pray for a miracle.
EXT. CUBRE VIEJA VOLCANO - IN THE WOODS - DAY
Tish and Professor Grossman hurriedly lead the research team
through the woods.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
We have to get out of here!
TISH
It shouldn’t be happening like
this!
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
But, it is.
TISH
That hydrothermal vent we just saw,
it’s just like -
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
- the 1949 eruption at San Juan,
Hoyo Negro and Duraznero.
TISH
But, lava erupted in 1949!
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
It’s coming, Tish! At any moment
now! Just like the epicenter near
Jedy!
26.
TISH
Damn it!
Suddenly the ground quakes and the trees begin to fall behind
them.
The earth collapses and swallows five of the researchers,
their screams fill the air.
Steam explodes from the hole.
TISH (CONT’D)
Ruuuuuuuun!
Tish, Professor Grossman and the last remaining Researcher
run for their lives.
A boulder shoots from the vent and lands atop the researcher,
crushing him.
Professor Grossman peers at the dead Researcher’s mangled
bloody arm protruding from beneath the boulder.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
Nooooooooo!
TISH (V.O.)
Professor!
MORE hydrothermal vents open before their eyes.
TISH (V.O.)
Professor!
Tish slaps Professor Grossman.
TISH
Snap out of it!
EXT. ROQUE DE LOS MUCHACHOS OBSERVATORY - DAY
Tish and Professor Grossman sprint from the treeline and
along the blacktop runway.
They jump into the Single Engine Airplane.
The telescope falls into a sinkhole.
INT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - SAME
The cockpit shakes as Tish pushes the ignition button.
27.
Nothing happens.
TISH
Come on, damn it!
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
Oh, my God, its not going to start!
Tish frantically pounds the start button.
EXT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - DAY
The propeller blades spin a few times and stop.
In the background, the volcano rumbles and steam vents spew
fiery ash into to air.
INT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - SAME
Tish flips switches and presses the start button.
The sound of the engine turns over, catches, then fails.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
Come on, Tish, come on!
TISH
Start, you son of a bitch!
She punches the start button again, the engine turns over,
catches and roars to life.
Tish slams the throttle forward.
TISH (CONT’D)
Move your ass!
EXT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - DAY
The ash covered-plane leaps down the runway just as the
volcano EXPLODES in a mass of fiery lava.
INT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - SAME
Professor Grossman, in a panic, points through the ash
covered windshield.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
It’s headed straight for us!
28.
The fiery lava-flow speeds towards the blacktop runway,
threatening to cut off their path.
TISH
No, we’re gonna make it!
She yanks back on the trembling yoke, the airframe shakes and
rumbles.
EXT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - DAY
Lava floods the runway and POPS the tires just as the plane
lifts from the blacktop.
In the background the lava drowns everything and bursts into
flames.
INT. VALENCIA BRIDGE - DAY
Captain Maka shakes hands with the Pope and Cardinal
Jonathan.
CAPTAIN MAKA
(to the Pope)
Well, this is a surprise.
CARDINAL JONATHAN
I would have said thanks for
dropping in.
Everyone laughs.
POPE CALLIXTUS
Yes, you would have.
The Pope and Captain walk away from the others.
The Single Engine Airplane can be seen flying over the bow.
The Radio Operator removes a pair of headphones and urgently
calls to the Captain.
RADIO OPERATOR
Captain, you need to hear this!
CAPTAIN MAKA
Let’s hear it.
The Radio Operator flips a switch.
29.
TISH (V.O.)
(VHF radio transmission)
Mayday, MV Valencia, this is USGS
U59838. Break. Position 29.43832
North 18.27026 West.
INT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - DAY
Tish peers out her window at the Valencia sailing in the open
ocean.
INT. VALENCIA BRIDGE - DAY
The Radio Operator presses a transmit button.
RADIO OPERATOR
U59838, this is MV Valencia, what
is your emergency?
INT. SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE - DAY
Tish continues to stare out the window at the Valencia.
TISH
This is Dr. Harriet with the Hazard
Research Center. We were just
forced to flee La Palma due to the
catastrophic eruption of Cumbre
Vieja volcano.
INT. VALENCIA BRIDGE - DAY
Captain Maka peers into binoculars.
The Single Engine aircraft waves its wings against the blue
sky.
RADIO OPERATOR (O.S.)
U59838, how may we assist you?
TISH (V.O.)
(VHF radio transmission)
Your vessel is in imminent danger!
The volcano is about to collapse
into the sea causing a megatsunami.
Captain Maka lowers the binoculars and hands them to First
Mate Noord.
30.
He snaps his fingers to get everyone’s attention.
CAPTAIN MAKA
All hands! Ready the ship for an
emergency!
TISH (V.O.)
(VHF radio transmission)
You must navigate to the east coast
of Tenerife! Do you copy? The East
side of the island is your only
hope!
CAPTAIN MAKA
(to Chief Mate Noord)
What’s our ETA?
CHIEF MATE
We’re making our way past Roque de
Anaga off our starboard Captain,
twenty minutes, tops.
CAPTAIN MAKA
Get us there in ten, full speed
ahead! Just in case this is right.
Captain Maka leans over the Radio Operator and presses the
transmit button.
CAPTAIN MAKA (CONT’D)
This is Captain Maka on board MV
Valencia, please validate your
identity.
Only heavy static answers him.
CAPTAIN MAKA (CONT’D)
USGS U59838, this is MV Valencia,
please respond!
Nothing.
Captain Maka walks to First Mate Noord, grabs the binoculars
and peers into them.
The airplane’s no longer visible, the sky is empty.
CAPTAIN MAKA (V.O.)
Let’s go, people! Initiate the
General Emergency Signal and send
out our GPS distress coordinates. I
want everyone at their muster
stations with life-vests on their
backs!
31.
INT. VALENCIA - SHOW LOUNGE - SAME
MORE ship passengers sit in a large show lounge as a COMIC
paces back and forth on the stage.
COMIC
I mean, has there ever been
anything remotely funny about
Ronald McDonald? Seriously, is
anyone actually buying the whole
yellow shoed, I’m your red headed
buddy shtick?
The audience roars with LAUGHTER.
COMIC (CONT’D)
I took my kids to mickey-dees for
the millionth time last week and on
the counter I see that little box
for Ronald McDonald house.
A VOICE (O.S.)
Sucker!
The Comic stops pacing and stares into the audience.
COMIC
Oh, they got you too, huh?
The audience claps their approval.
COMIC (CONT’D)
Donations for Ronald McDonald
house? Really? What are they
building, a fucking mansion? The
donation box has been on that
counter since I was five years old.
The General Emergency Signal sounds drowning out the Comic.
CRUISE DIRECTOR (V.O.)
(over the loudspeaker)
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and
girls, this is your cruise
director.
INT. VALENCIA - BUFFET LINE - SAME
A long line of passengers are waiting for burgers to come off
the grill.
32.
CRUISE DIRECTOR (V.O.)
(through PA system)
As you have heard, the Captain has
initiated the General Emergency
Signal. Please return immediately
to your cabins, retrieve your life
jackets and report to your muster
stations.
A FILIPINO COOK stops turning burgers and tries to close the
window separating him from the passengers.
PASSENGER #1
What the heck is going on here?
FILIPINO COOK
(in broken English)
No more food. You must report to
your emergency station.
PASSENGER #2
I want my burger!
EXT. OFF THE COAST OF LA PALMA - DAY
An AFRICAN MAN standing on a fishing boat watches a group of
people fishing from the stern.
A loud rumble in the distance causes him to glance at the
island.
The volcano EXPLODES sending rocks and trees hurling into the
ocean like missiles.
The volcano collapses and slides into the Atlantic Ocean
sending a dome of water hundreds of feet into the air.
A wave demolishes the boat.
INT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - DAY
A STEWARDESS walks among airline passengers in the cabin.
A FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)
Miss, oh, Miss, it smells like
sulfur in here!
The Stewardess turns to an OLDER WOMAN seated next to a
coughing FAT MAN.
33.
OLDER WOMAN
(to stewardess)
I said, it smells like matches in
here.
FAT MAN
I have asthma, who’s smoking on
this plane?
STEWARDESS
I’ll go check the bathroom, I’m
sure it’s someone sneaking in a
puff or two.
BALD MAN
(pointing out his window)
The engine is on fire!
STEWARDESS
I’m sure it’s no!
BALD MAN
(pointing out window)
Don’t tell me its not on fucking
fire! Look out the damn window!
The Stewardess peers through the window.
The wing and engine are glowing creating a St. Elmo’s Fire
effect.
STEWARDESS
Oh Lord!
The Stewardess rushes down the isle ignoring excited calls of
the passengers.
Turbulence shakes the cabin.
INT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - COCKPIT - SAME
A JET PILOT and JET CO-PILOT are working the controls when
the Stewardess pushes through the cockpit door.
STEWARDESS
We have a fire in the number two
engine.
The Jet Co-Pilot turns in his seat.
JET PILOT
It’s not a fire. We flew through
ash from an erupting volcano.
34.
An alarm beeps on the control panel and the Jet Co-Pilot
looks to it.
JET CO-PILOT
We just lost number two.
JET PILOT
(to stewardess)
Strap yourself into the jump seat.
The Stewardess straps herself in.
EXT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - DAY
The jet engine stops spinning on the right wing. The plane
shudders and whines.
INT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - COCKPIT - SAME
The Jet Pilot, Jet Co-Pilot and Stewardess are bouncing in
their seats from turbulence.
STEWARDESS
What volcano erupts this high?
JET CO-PILOT
All of them. The last major air
traffic disruption was in April
2010.
JET PILOT
Four thousand flights were
cancelled from Norway, Sweden,
Finland and Denmark.
Suddenly, another alarm beeps.
JET CO-PILOT
Engine failure!
JET PILOT
Get us on the ground. What’s the
nearest tarmac?
JET CO-PILOT
Spain, Tenerife North.
JET PILOT
Let’s do it.
35.
JET CO-PILOT
(flipping a switch)
Tenerife North tower, this is
Global Air 2291, we have lost
engines and request an emergency
landing pattern.
No Response.
JET CO-PILOT (CONT’D)
Global 2291 to Tenerife tower, we
request immediate landing.
No response.
JET PILOT
How far out are we?
JET CO-PILOT
One hundred miles.
JET PILOT
Let’s take her down and let them
worry about the radio outage later.
JET CO-PILOT
Roger that.
INT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - SAME
The Jet Passengers shake violently in their seats and the
over-head compartments dump their contents upon them.
The Jet Passengers scream.
EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN - DAY
A tsunami rolls on the ocean towards a distant island.
EXT. PUERTO SANTIAGO BEACH - SPAIN - DAY
SUPER: Tenerife, Spain.
It’s Summer and the natural rock-pool of the Barcelo Santiago
Hotel are packed with bathers.
A model-like SPANISH WOMAN steps from the rock-pool, climbs
the stairs leading from the beach to the hotel.
A VOICE (O.S.)
Ruuuuuuuuuun!
36.
The Spanish Woman glances over her shoulder.
Everyone points towards the tsunami speeding towards the
shore.
The Spanish Woman runs up the concrete stairs.
EXT. BARCELO SANTIAGO HOTEL - POOL AREA - DAY
The Spanish Woman and dozens of hotel guests sprint through
the pool area in a panic.
EXT. HONURA STREET - DAY
Hundreds of spanish tourists dash past a “Volcano Evacuation”
sign as the Spanish Woman emerges from the crowd.
A spanish man falls to the pavement and is trampled.
A WAITER points towards the ocean.
WAITER
(spanish)
Oh my god! It's a tsunami!
The wave crashes into the beach and over the hotels.
Honura Street lies under water and everything floats on the
surge.
The Spanish Woman struggles to stay afloat as she’s swept
down the street.
Flapping her arms wildly, she bobs on the water’s surface
drowning.
SPANISH WOMAN
(spanish)
Help me, help!
She slips beneath the surface.
INT. BENEATH THE WATER SURFACE - DAY
The Spanish Woman’s lifeless body sinks into the abyss
amongst many other bodies.
37.
INT. ATLANTIC OCEAN - DAY
Hundreds of species of fish are swimming frantically beneath
the hull of a huge ship.
Rising through the water we break through the surface.
EXT. ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN - DAY
The Valencia sails on smooth seas, in the distance lies the
north section of the island of Tenerife.
Hundreds of Ship Passengers wearing life vests stand on the
decks.
EXT. VALENCIA - DECK SIX - DAY
First Mate Noord escorts the Pope and his entourage through a
crowd of Ship Passengers.
In the background the CRUISE DIRECTOR moves along the deck
speaking into a megaphone.
CRUISE DIRECTOR
Please, ladies and gentlemen,
welcome his Holy Father on board
the Valencia.
The Ship Passengers clap and wave as the Pope and his
entourage move into a muster station line with Tony, Michael
and Julie.
MICHAEL
I guess you’re not going to hell
after all, dad!
TONY
There is no hell, son.
JULIE
Just hush, for once!
The Pope stares at Tony, then glances down at Michael.
Michael snaps a picture of the Pope with his i-Phone.
JULIE (CONT’D)
(to Michael)
Michael, that’s rude, don’t take
people’s pictures without their
permission.
38.
POPE CALLIXTUS
It’s not a problem. What is your
name, young fellow?
MICHAEL
(pointing to himself)
I’m Michael.
(pointing to Tony)
That’s my dad.
(grabbing Julie’s hand)
And this is my mom.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(nodding to Julie)
Bless you.
(to Tony in spanish)
You are in my prayers.
TONY
(Italian to Julie)
He just said something about me?
JULIE
He said you’re an idiot.
TONY
Really? He can do that?
POPE CALLIXTUS
(to Tony)
I said you are in my prayers.
TONY
Oh.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(pointing to himself)
I speak eight languages.
(pointing into the sky)
But he speaks more.
(smiling at Julie)
Perhaps it is you I should be
praying for.
Julie giggles.
JULIE
I need all the prayers I can get,
father.
39.
CRUISE DIRECTOR (O.S.)
(distant bullhorn)
There is going to be a wave surge
and we expect the ship to rock back
and forth, so listen closely for
safety instructions.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(to Michael)
Young Michael, you are named after
one of the greatest of angels.
MICHAEL
I know, my mom talks about him.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(to Julie)
Good.
(to Michael)
Which angel is your favorite?
MICHAEL
I like Gabriel the best.
POPE CALLIXTUS
The Archangel of dreams. Why
Gabriel?
MICHAEL
I have, like, lots of dreams.
The Pope bends over and kisses Michael on the head.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(Italian)
Bless this child and his dreams
A female safety instructor demonstrates how to inflate a life
vest by blowing into a tube connected to the vest.
CRUISE DIRECTOR
(into megaphone)
You can inflate your life vest by
blowing into the tube.
(pointing at instructor)
Just like our beautiful Safety
Instructor.
In the distance a Boeing 777 Airplane approaches at very low
altitude.
The Ship Passengers point towards it.
40.
INT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - COCKPIT - DAY
The Jet Pilot and Jet Co-Pilot stare at their instruments.
JET PILOT
Two thousand feet, lower the nose.
JET CO-PILOT
(pushing the yoke forward)
Roger, lowering the nose.
INT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - CABIN - SAME
The cabin continues to shake with turbulence.
Oxygen masks fall from their compartments above the heads of
the frightened Jet Passengers.
JET PILOT (V.O.)
This is your captain. I know the
ride is rough, but we will be on
the ground within minutes.
The Jet Passengers are visibly relieved.
INT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - COCKPIT - SAME
The Jet Pilot has control of the yoke while the Jet Co-pilot
presses buttons and flips switches.
JET CO-PILOT
One thousand feet and descending,
manual landing. Emergency power,
we’re now at 500 feet.
The Jet Pilot peers out the cockpit window, his face fills
with panic.
JET PILOT
(pulling back yoke)
Ah, shiiiit!
JET CO-PILOT
(glancing through window)
Pull it up!
The runway, potted with huge sink-holes lies just below them.
41.
EXT. BOEING 777 AIRPLANE - DAY
The Boeing 777 hits the runway, the landing gear collapses
with a thundering crunch.
The airplane skids sideways on its belly along the runway
throwing up sparks.
The plane crashes into a huge sinkhole, flips over and rips
away its wings, EXPLODING in a ball of fire.
EXT. VALENCIA - MAIN DECK - DAY
A cruise ship employee lights a cigarette surrounded by a
dozen passengers.
A MALE SAFETY OFFICER points at the cruise ship employee.
MALE SAFETY OFFICER
Put that out.
The cruise ship employee flicks the butt over the rail.
It falls towards the ocean but blows back to the deck below.
EXT. VALENCIA DECK SIX - DAY
The cigarette butt hits the Cruise Director’s sleeve.
He picks up the butt.
CRUISE DIRECTOR
That, ladies and gentlemen, is why
we ask people not to throw smoking
materials overboard.
A loud explosion rumbles in the distance.
The Ship Passengers point to a large black plume of smoke
rising over the island.
INT. CAPTAINS BRIDGE - SAME
Captain Maka glances at the Radio Operator seated at his
console.
CAPTAIN MAKA
Get on the radio and find out what
that smoke is.
42.
RADIO OPERATOR
Aye, aye, Captain.
The Captain picks up the binoculars and looks into them.
The huge black plume of smoke billows into the sky over the
island.
EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE - DAY
A black sedan enters the North Gate of the White House and
moves past two US Park Police Officers.
U.S. MARINE #1, standing beside the West Wing entrance
watches the sedan as it comes to a stop.
He salutes as Admiral Brancor emerges followed by Sam.
MARINE #1
Sir!
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
At ease, son.
The West Wing door swings outward, revealing U.S. MARINE #2,
who snaps to attention, salutes and holds the door open.
SAM
(to Admiral Brancor)
They do that all the time?
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
(to Sam)
You bet your ass, they do.
INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - WEST WING FOYER - SAME
Admiral Brancor and Sam enter the West Wing foyer.
Chief of Staff, ROBERT LASLOW, 44, approaches and motions for
them to follow.
ROBERT LASLOW
(to Sam)
I’m Robert Laslow, the White House
Chief of Staff.
(to Admiral Brancor)
Admiral, we’re all set up in the
situation room and awaiting the
President.
43.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
This is Dr. Samuel May from the
Hazard Research Centre.
ROBERT LASLOW
Sure, sure. Mildred has given us a
heads up on everything.
SAM
Mildred Wilson?
ROBERT LASLOW
You know her?
SAM
My wife, Dr. Tish Harriet and
Mildred go way back, college
roommates.
ROBERT LASLOW
Dr. Harriet is well known around
here.
SAM
She reminds us at the Research
Centre just how true that statement
is.
Robert Laslow leads them through the reception area, down a
flight of stairs and along a corridor.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
(to Robert)
Are the satellites in position for
a pass-over?
ROBERT LASLOW
Central Command has the uplink.
Everything is green-lighted on our
end.
They pass through a door informing they have arrived at the
‘White House Situation Room’.
INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - SITUATION ROOM - SAME
Robert Laslow leads Admiral Brancor and Sam into the
situation room.
A group of officials sit around a conference table.
On the table, in front of each person sits a laptop and a
binder with ‘Project Doomsday’ printed on it.
44.
In the middle of the table lies a TV remote control.
Large screen TV monitors display news stories from around the
world.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
Good afternoon, everybody. This is
Sam and he’s the President’s
Science Chief on this.
Admiral Brancor glances at the largest of the screens which
has a satellite image of Lisbon, Portugal on it.
ROBERT LASLOW
We’re waiting on the first major
wave impact in Lisbon.
Secretary of State, MILDRED WILSON, 50 something, moves to
Sam and hugs him.
MILDRED WILSON
Sam, good to see you. We’re just
waiting on President Harris, Vice
Pres. Mike Logan and the National
Security Advisor, Steven Richards.
SAM
Good to see you too, Mildred.
MILDRED WILSON
Any word of Tish or the team on La
Palma?
SAM
Nothing yet, Mildred.
MILDRED WILSON
She’ll turn up, Sam. Tish always
turns up.
RONALD CLARK, late sixties, walks into the room and places a
briefcase on the table.
RONALD CLARK
(to Mildred)
Is he on the way?
MILDRED WILSON
(pointing to Sam)
This is our -
SAM
- Secretary of Defense, Clark.
Sure, I recognize him.
45.
MILDRED WILSON
(whispering to Sam)
Glad I’m not in his shoes.
RONALD CLARK
(to Mildred)
Mildred, I’m not deaf, you know. I
can hear you.
MILDRED WILSON
Oh, come on, Ronnie, you know I’m
just playing with you. And, yes,
the President is-
PRESIDENT RIVER HARRIS, 50, walks through the door.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (O.S.)
- Here!
Vice President MIKE LOGAN, 55, and National Security Advisor
STEVEN RICHARDS, late forties, enter the room.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
Let’s get this rodeo going.
President Harris sits at the head of the table and flips
through the binder pages.
He points to the screens upon the walls.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
Mike and I were watching the
network coverage upstairs in the
oval office. Things aren’t looking
good.
(to Sam)
Tell me I’m not going to have to
evacuate the east coast.
SAM
I couldn’t possibly advise you of
such, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
What’s our best shot here, Sam? If
you were sitting in this seat, what
would you tell me?
SAM
What I have to say won’t make me
any friends in this room.
46.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
Sam, I have five thousand friends
on facebook. Another twenty two
million people like my public page
and I don’t know any of them. Trust
me, friends are overrated.
STEVEN RICHARDS
What the President needs to know is
which cities we must focus on
evacuating in order to save the
most lives.
MILDRED WILSON
Tell them, Sam. You’re the only
wake up call they have.
SAM
Every city from Miami to Maine is
facing catastrophic destruction.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
God damn it, Sam! I knew you’d say
that.
(nodding to Admiral)
Lew, bring up project doomsday.
Admiral Brancor types on a laptop and the big screen blinks
to life.
INT. VALENCIA BRIDGE - DAY
A computer screen displays a satellite image of the Canary
Islands and what appears to be an anomaly in the water.
A navigator punches a few keys on his keyboard and then
stares at the computer screen.
The image shows a wave heading straight towards the outline
of a ship.
A VOICE (O.S.)
Rogue wave, starboard side!
The navigator glances up from the screen to see a dozen deck
officers staring through the bridge window.
A gigantic wave barrels towards them.
47.
EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN - DAY
We are directly behind the wave as it bears down on the
starboard side of the MV Valencia.
EXT. VALENCIA DECK SIX - SAME
The passengers scream, push and run as the wave crashes into
the starboard side of the ship.
The ship lists to its port side.
Pope Callixtus grabs hold of a railing.
Cardinal Jonathan grabs hold of the Pope’s cassock and
reaches out grabbing Michaels wrist.
Tony, Julie and the Pope’s entourage are all carried away by
the water.
INT. VALENCIA BRIDGE - SAME
Captain Maka and his crew are hanging from a railing.
The helicopter crashes through the bridge window.
The blades of the helicopter break free from the rotor and
whip around in the water heading directly for the Captain.
EXT. VALENCIA DECK SIX - DAY
The ship lies on her port side.
Pope Callixtus grips the handrails on the side of the ship’s
deck.
Below the Pope, Cardinal Jonathan hangs from the Pope’s
cassock.
Michael’s arms are wrapped around Cardinal Jonathan’s waist.
The Pope’s cassock begins to rip.
CARDINAL JONATHAN
Pull yourself up, boy! Climb!
MICHAEL
I can’t hold on, I can’t!
Michael glances down.
48.
Thousands of Ship Passengers scream in the water.
CARDINAL JONATHAN
Do it, climb, climb!
Michael climbs up Cardinal Jonathan’s back and grabs the Pope
around his waist.
Cardinal Jonathan loses his grip and falls ten stories into
the sea.
INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - SITUATION ROOM - LATER
Admiral Brancor types on his laptop. A satellite image
appears of the U.S. East coast on the big screen.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
(pointing to monitor)
Project doomsday was designed to
focus our resources and that of
FEMA on the evacuation of cities
along the east coast after
Hurricane Earl threatened in 2010.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
Of course Earl missed us. But those
plans to evacuate the entire
coastline are still viable.
Admiral Brancor punches a few more keys and a red line
appears along the east coast from Miami to Maine.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
As you can see, we were prepared to
evacuate everyone within five miles
of the shoreline.
SAM
Mr. President, with all due
respect. Those plans are poppycock
for an event such as this.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
How so, Sam?
Sam leans over Admiral Brancor, hits a few keys, then walks
over to the big screen.
A red line runs through the middle of Florida and up the East
coast to the middle of Maine.
49.
SAM
Everything twenty five miles east
of that line will be under water in
seven hours.
A cellphone RINGS.
Vice President Logan digs into his jacket, pulls out a
cellphone and places it to his ear.
VICE PRESIDENT LOGAN
(into phone)
Yes, thank you.
He presses the end button, picks up the remote control puts
on a news report showing the tsunami barreling towards the
Lisbon coast.
FEMALE REPORTER (V.O.)
The scene you are watching is a
tsunami the likes of which none of
us have ever seen and it is baring
down on the coast of Lisbon,
Portugal.
INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE - DAY
The PRIME MINISTER and Will stare at the TV image of the
tsunami hitting the shore of Lisbon.
PRIME MINISTER
(to Will)
This is quite scabby, isn’t it?
A knock at the door jolts the Prime Minister’s attention and
he glances across the room.
A BRITISH MAN peeks his head through the door about to speak,
when Tish rushes into the office.
TISH
Will!
Will rushes over to Tish and hugs her.
WILL
Oh, thank God you’re okay. Sam and
I have been worried sick about you.
Where’s Grossman?
50.
TISH
Back at the Hazard Centre, he
wanted to look at the ERS satellite
readings. How is Sam?
WILL
He’s with President Harris now.
(to the P.M.)
Prime Minister, you know Tish.
PRIME MINISTER
Of course! We met at the Research
Center in 2010 when we closed
Heathrow, Gatwick and London City
due to the Icelandic volcano ash,
remember?
TISH
Yes, Tony Blair introduced us.
PRIME MINISTER
And now, it is I who must face a
similar pickle.
The Prime Minister leads them back to the television.
PRIME MINISTER (CONT’D)
Have a go at it, then.
(pointing at TV)
What have you got to say about
this?
On the screen a live news report shows the tsunami crashing
into Lisbon’s Torre de belém.
TISH
Prime Minister, you must evacuate
the city of London at once!
PRIME MINISTER
London is not on the coast and the
Thames River has barrier gates.
WILL
It won’t hold this, Prime Minister,
the underground will flood! There
will be a massive surge which
surely will inundate the barrier
gates.
They stare into the television where the wave smashes into
Lisbon’s Statue of Christ leaving only its upper half
piercing from the water.
51.
INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - PRESS ROOM - DAY
A screen displays the drowning of Cristo Rei.
As we pull back a technician holds an i-Pad 2.
President Harris walks to the podium and faces White House
reporters seated in their chairs.
Filing in behind the President are Vice President Logan, Sam,
Robert Laslow, Mildred Wilson, Ronald Clark and Steven
Richards.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
This morning we were alerted to
what was believed to be an
earthquake on the island of La
Palma in the country of Spain.
The President points to Sam standing behind him.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
Dr. Samuel May and the UCL Hazard
Centre has for many years warned
that such an earthquake could at
some point cause the Volcano Cumbre
Vieja to collapse and fall into the
Atlantic Ocean causing a mid-
Atlantic tsunami.
The Preseident glances around the room.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
The United States and our allies
scoffed at the notion. No one
believed his research and in fact
many of us turned up our noses at
the very thought of such a
catastrophe.
The President glances down at the podium and then back into
the camera.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
Today, it is apparent that we were
wrong to dismiss such warnings.
EXT. NEW YORK CITY - TIMES SQUARE - DAY
Hundreds of pedestrians stare at the Jumbotron displaying
President Harris’ news conference.
52.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
(on Jumbotron)
In Spain, the La Palma ash eruption
caused tragic crashes of multiple
commercial aircraft.
The video on the Jumbotron changes to that of the Tenerife
North Airport littered with demolished aircraft.
The pedestrians gasp in shock.
The image of the President replaces the carnage of the
Tenerife airport.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
And within the last hour, we have
watched as the city of Lisbon has
been destroyed by waves the size of
sky scrapers.
The video on the Jumbotron changes to that of Lisbon,
Portugal.
Buildings along the coast lie in ruins.
The video fades to the image of President Harris staring
somberly into the camera.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
My fellow Americans. This is the
greatest natural disaster to ever
face our nation. I have ordered a
temporary martial law under article
H.R. 5122, also known as the John
Warner National Defense
Authorization Act. This allows the
office of the President to take
charge of National Guard troops
without state governor
authorization. I have ordered the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,
Admiral Brancor, to put into effect
mandatory evacuations along the
eastern seaboard of our country.
EXT. MIAMI BEACH - DAY
SUPER : Miami, Florida
It’s a beautiful day as we approach the shore from the open
ocean.
People litter the beach.
53.
A half dozen Coast Guard Helicopters loudly fly over them.
INT. COAST GUARD HELICOPTER - DAY
A COAST GUARDSMAN sits with his legs dangling out of the jump
port holding a bullhorn to his mouth.
COAST GUARDSMAN
Attention, attention, this is the
United States Coast Guard. By order
of the President all citizens are
to immediately evacuate Miami
Beach.
The beach gives way to Ocean Drive bustling with activity.
Roller bladers move amongst cars which clog the street.
Diners fill restaurant tables along the sidewalk.
EXT. MIAMI - MACARTHUR CAUSEWAY - DAY
A military motorcade speeds by a National Guard blockade and
moves over the causeway.
EXT. NORFOLK NAVAL STATION - DAY
SUPER: Naval Station, Norfolk Virginia
The base is busy with evacuations.
Harrier jets leap into the air from the decks of aircraft
carriers moored along the docks.
A line of submarines head out to sea disappearing under the
water.
Hundreds of servicemen climb aboard dozens of helicopters of
every type which lift into the air.
A motorcade of Jeeps and trucks move out of the base.
EXT. BOSTON HARBOR - DAY
SUPER: Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston Lighthouse lies below as we approach and then pass
over it.
Boston Harbor’s crowded with pleasure boats.
54.
In the distance lies the skyline of Boston.
EXT. BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN - DAY
Thousands of National Guardsmen busily set up a staging area
around the George Washington Statue.
Boston Police carry assault rifles and march along the
blacktop road leading from the park.
EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE - SOUTH LAWN - DAY
President Harris, Admiral Brancor and Sam exit the White
House and hurry towards Marine One.
Following close behind are Chief of Staff Laslow, Secretary
of State Wilson, Secretary of Defense Clark and National
Security Advisor Steven Richards.
Beside Marine One U.S. MARINE # 3 stands saluting.
The engine whines to life as reporters shout questions in the
background.
REPORTERS (O.S.)
(numerous)
Mr. President! Mr. President!
PRESIDENT HARRIS
(to Admiral Brancor)
What’s the status of the
evacuations?
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
It’s underway, Mr. President.
Florida to Maine.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
God help us, Lew. I don’t think we
have enough time.
ADMIRAL BRANCOR
We’ll do our best, Mr. President.
President Harris leads his entourage up the stairs of Marine
One.
U.S. Marine # 3 closes the door and the helicopter lifts into
the sky.
55.
EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - DAY
Marine One and the two identical helicopters fly above
Washington D.C.
The National Mall and Capitol building lie in the distance.
INT. MARINE ONE - SAME
President Harris sits staring out the window.
The Jefferson Memorial lies below and in the distance
Military Vehicles move over the 14th Street Bridge.
A cellphone rings and the President glances at Sam who
reaches into his pocket and retrieves a cellphone.
An image of Tish lies on the cellphone screen.
SAM
Mr. President, it’s my wife. Would
you mind if I take it?
PRESIDENT HARRIS
Go ahead, Sam.
Sam presses the accept button and places the phone to his
ear.
SAM
Tish, thank heavens you’re alive!
EXT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
TISH (V.O.)
Come on, Sam! I have nine lives.
Zoom past Big Ben and into 10 Downing Street.
INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - A HALLWAY - SAME
Tish holds a cellphone to her ear as she walks beside Will.
SAM (V.O.)
I know.
TISH
Sam? Only Grossman and I made it
off the rock. I love you, Sam.
56.
SAMUEL MAY (V.O.)
I love you more. Has Will spoken to
the Prime Minister about the
Underground?
TISH
Yes, darling, the Prime Minister
has assured him the Underground
would be cleared.
WILL
(elbowing Tish)
Darling? Awe, you guys are such
love birds.
Tish rolls her eyes at Will and then laughs at something Sam
has told her on the phone.
WILL (CONT’D)
What’s so funny?
TISH
(pressing the end button)
Sam said to ask about your singing
lessons?
WILL
Damn bugger!
EXT. FRANCE - PHARE DU CHREAC'H - DAY
SUPER: Ouessant, France
A french man rides a bicycle along a blacktop driveway
towards the lighthouse.
The sound of crashing waves gains his attention and he
glances over his shoulder.
The tsunami wave rolls past the English Channel and the surge
inundates its rocky banks.
ANGLE ON FRENCH MAN
He leaps from the bicycle, dashes towards the lighthouse and
up to the door.
He pulls a key ring from his pocket, fumbles with them and
glances over his shoulder.
The surge crashes over the huge rocks and heads directly for
him.
57.
FRENCH MAN
(french)
Open damn it!
He pushes the door inward and disappears through it.
INT. KREAC'H LIGHTHOUSE - STAIRWAY - SAME
The French Man runs up the circular stairs two at a time,
panting for air.
Reaching the top stair he bursts through the door and onto a
lookout deck.
EXT. KREAC'H LIGHTHOUSE - LOOKOUT DECK - DAY
The French Man gasps in disbelief and peers into the
distance.
The surge inundates the banks of the English Channel and
pushes houses free of their foundations.
They float atop the surge and crash into one another.
EXT. LONDON BRIDGE - DAY
British police cars weave in and out of traffic across the
bridge, their sirens blaring, lights flashing.
EXT. A LONDON STREET - CONTINUOUS
The police cars speed along a London street.
EXT. LONDON’S WATERLOO STATION - CONTINUOUS
British Police jump from police cars and sprint into the
station.
INT. LONDON’S WATERLOO STATION - CONTINUOUS
The British Police dash around commuters and continue through
the station.
FURTHER ALONG
The British Police swarm a ticket office ordering commuters
away from the window.
58.
BRITISH OFFICER (V.O.)
Out of the way!
One of the British Officers leans into the window.
BRITISH OFFICER
(to clerk)
Close the Underground by orders of
the Prime Minister!
CLERK
But, that is quite impossible! The
station is full.
BRITISH OFFICER
I have plenty of room in the
lockup, should you wish!
The clerk quickly picks up a phone and dials a number.
CLERK
(into phone)
Suspend all train departures at
once!
A loudspeaker erupts over the station’s PA system.
A VOICE FROM PA SYSTEM (V.O.)
(British accent)
Attention passengers! We apologize
for this inconvenience, but all
trains are cancelled from Waterloo
Station. Please proceed to the
nearest exits.
(french)
Attention, les passagers, nous
sommes désolés pour ce désagrément,
mais tous les trains sont annulés à
partir de la gare de Waterloo. S'il
vous plaît procéder à la plus
proche des sorties.
The British Officer glances around the station.
Crowds of commuters frantically move toward the exits.
BRITISH OFFICER
(to clerk)
That’s a good boy. I trust you
don’t fancy the Queens prison fare?
CLERK
There are still trains at the
stations.
59.
BRITISH OFFICER
(to his men)
Get into the tubes and evacuate all
trains!
INT. LONDON’S WATERLOO STATION - PLATFORM 7 - SAME
A train pulls away from the platform just as the British
Officer and a few of his men sprint onto the platform.
EXT. ST. PETERS SQUARE - DAY
Fifty thousand faithful Catholics pack the square, many of
whom hold pictures of Pope Callixtus.
INT. ST. PETERS BASILICA - AN OFFICE - SAME
Cardinal Manning stares through the curtains at large crowds
below in St. Peters Square.
A knock at the door gains his attention and he looks to it.
CARDINAL MANNING
Come!
The Franciscan Monk steps through the door. A hopeful smile
on his face.
FRANCISCAN MONK
Cardinal Secretary, there has been
word from the Gendarmerie Corps.
CARDINAL MANNING
And, what are the words from the
Swiss?
FRANCISCAN MONK
They have received what they
believe to be a signal from the
Holy Father.
CARDINAL MANNING
A signal?
FRANCISCAN MONK
A tweet, Cardinal Secretary.
CARDINAL MANNING
From the His Eminence? Impossible.
60.
The Franciscan Monk reaches into his cassock, retrieves a
message and hands it over.
CARDINAL MANNING (CONT’D)
(reading message)
“Dear friend, the lord has saved
few but taken many. I am adrift off
the coast of Tenerife.”
The Cardinal drops the message onto his desk.
CARDINAL MANNING (CONT’D)
His Holy Father sending a tweet,
imagine that!
(picking up the phone)
Send word to the nations. A
personal message from me.
FRANCISCAN MONK
What is the message?
CARDINAL MANNING
The Holy Father’s life depends on
their immediate rescue of Callixtus
from the waters of Spain.
CLOSE OF MESSAGE ON DESK
The Twitter message lies on the desk, it shows the photo of
Pope Callixtus in a lifeboat.
EXT. OFF THE COAST OF TENERIFE - DAY
Cruise Ship Survivors aboard a dozen Valencia lifeboats row
through thousands of bodies floating on the water for as far
as the eye can see.
In the distance the Valencia sinks.
CLOSE IN ON ONE OF THE BOATS
Pope Callixtus sits in one of the lifeboats surrounded by
Survivors.
Beside the Pope, Michael taps on his i-Phone screen.
POPE CALLIXTUS
(pointing to the iPhone)
Do you think they received our
message?
61.
MICHAEL
I don’t know if the ship’s WIFI
network was still working or not.
Do you think they will come for us
if they do get it?
POPE CALLIXTUS
As sure as the sun shall rise.
The Pope wraps an arm around Michael.
MICHAEL
My mom and dad are dead, aren’t
they?
POPE CALLIXTUS
Only God knows, Michael. You know,
when I was a young boy I lost both
my parents.
MICHAEL
Really?
POPE CALLIXTUS
I was about your age, maybe a year
or so older.
MICHAEL
How did they die?
POPE CALLIXTUS
In November 1967 they were aboard
an Iberia Airliner that was flying
to London's Heathrow airport when
it crashed into the southern slopes
of Blackdown Hill, not far from
Fernhurst village. All 37 people on
board were killed.
MICHAEL
Do you remember them?
POPE CALLIXTUS
As if it were only yesterday. In
many respects, losing them changed
the way I looked at things, altered
my path in life.
MICHAEL
Do you think my mom and dad are
with your parents in Heaven?
POPE CALLIXTUS
What does your heart tell you?
62.
MICHAEL
I know my mom is.
POPE CALLIXTUS
And your dad?
MICHAEL
I don’t think my father believed in
God.
POPE CALLIXTUS
Sometimes, reality is much deeper
than what we might think.
MICHAEL
I hope so.
The Pope ruffles Michael’s hair then points into the
distance.
Spanish Air Force helicopters approach from the horizon.
POPE CALLIXTUS
That is the response to your
message, young Michael!
The Survivors aboard the lifeboats begin waving their arms
and shouting.
EXT. LONDON - QUEEN ELIZABETH II BRIDGE - DAY
SUPER: Thames River, England.
People jump from their cars and peer over the bridge
railings.
Suddenly, the surge sweeps around the river bend and gushes
forcefully beneath the bridge.
EXT. THAMES BARRIER GATES - DAY
The Thames Barrier flood gates break the surface and lock
into place.
The surge barrels through the river and crashes into and then
over the barrier.
A British Police Boat flees but the surge topples it.
63.
INT. LONDON’S WATERLOO STATION - DAY
A train pulls into the station and passengers emerge from it.
The British Officer and his men quickly usher them along the
platform and up the stairs.
BRITISH OFFICER
Let’s go! Move along! Quickly now!
Water gushes through the tube and into the passengers,
drowning everyone.
EXT. LONDON - OXFORD STREET - DAY
Pedestrians line the sidewalks as traffic moves along the
street.
Water wells up out of the underground and the force of it
sweeps the pedestrians down the street.
EXT. LONDON’S CENTER POINT OFFICE BUILDING - DAY
A London Taxi stuck in traffic beeps its horn.
INT. LONDON TAXI - SAME
Will and Tish sit laughing at something.
WILL
You think that’s funny, do you?
TISH
Oh, come on, William! Don’t you see
the irony in it all? We spend our
entire lives researching volcanoes
to prevent this exact situation -
WILL
- and they don’t take us seriously
when it occurs! Yeah, I get it.
TISH
It’s sad, almost, if it weren’t so
tragic.
Tish glances at her feet. Water fills the floorboard of the
taxi.
WILL
We have to get out of here!
64.
Will grabs Tish’s hand and drags her from the taxi.
EXT. OXFORD STREET - DAY
It’s PANDEMONIUM along the street. MORE pedestrians struggle
through waist deep water.
The London taxi and other vehicles float down the street on
the surge.
The Taxi crashes into an electrical pole which cracks and
falls atop a bus.
Bus passengers leap from the windows into the water.
The electrical pole’s transformer shoots sparks just inches
from the water’s surface.
WILL
We have to get out of the water!
Tish points in the distance.
TISH
Over there!
The Centre Point office building lies ahead and they struggle
to wade through the water.
Screams fill the scene as pedestrians are washed away on the
current.
EXT. CAMP DAVID - DAY
We approach and pass the Camp David sign outside the
Presidential retreat.
Television reporters pack the road standing beside satellite
trucks.
The camera snakes its way through dense woods until Laurel
Lodge comes into view.
SECRET SERVICE MEN are everywhere.
INT. CAMP DAVID - LAUREL LODGE - SAME
President Harris and his staff stare at a wall of TV screens
displaying various news reports.
65.
In the middle of the room, junior staffers surround a desk
working half dozen phones.
On the table sits a RED PHONE.
Upon one of the TV screens a Fox News report shows a clip of
people leaving an apartment building.
ZOOM INTO SCREEN
EXT. BOSTON STREET - DAY
BOSTON POLICE OFFICERS dressed in riot gear are leading
residents and teenagers from an apartment building.
SHEPARD SMITH (V.O.)
The riot started when Boston Police
attempted to remove residents from
this complex. Fox News witnessed
the evacuation which suddenly took
a violent turn when a rookie Boston
Police officer made a poor choice
of physically slamming a teenager
to the ground.
The teenagers begin yelling at the police.
A Boston Cop shoves one of the teenagers and a street riot
breaks out.
INT. CAMP DAVID - LAUREL LODGE - DAY
President Harris and his staff watch SHEPARD SMITH on Fox
News.
SHEPARD SMITH
(on TV)
- and the violence has not been
confined to this neighborhood. Just
moments ago we heard that a
National Guardsman was shot on the
streets of South Boston when his
unit entered a low income housing
project.
Sam pulls a wallet from his pants, opens it and glances at a
photo.
FLASHBACK
66.
EXT. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON - AFTERNOON
It’s Springtime, the birds are chirping, students are
laughing.
Sam, 20-something, and Tish, 20-something, are carrying books
strolling amongst UNIVERSITY STUDENTS in front of the Wilkins
Building.
In their arms they carry books.
Beside them stands Chris Grossman, 20-something.
CHRIS GROSSMAN
Look at you two, sickly in love!
SAM
We’re not sickly.
(to Tish)
Are we?
TISH
Kind of, I suppose.
Sam and Tish drop their books and kiss.
Chris Grossman pulls a camera out of his backpack snaps a
picture.
CHRIS GROSSMAN
Ah, yes, young love in Spring!
END FLASHBACK
INT. CAMP DAVID - LAUREL LODGE -DAY
Mildred approaches Sam and glances over his shoulder at the
photo.
MILDRED WILSON
Sam?
Sam doesn’t respond.
MILDRED WILSON (CONT’D)
Sam, are you okay?
SAM
Not really. I’m worried sick,
Mildred.
On the TV screen BRIAN WILLIAMS sits at NBC Nighty News.
67.
BRIAN WILLIAMS
(on a TV screen)
Good evening from New York, where
evacuations are in full swing for
what the President is calling “the
greatest natural disaster to ever
face our nation.”
PRESIDENT HARRIS
I said that?
ROBERT LASLOW
You did.
BRIAN WILLIAMS
(on TV)
From Key West to Maine, looting,
robbery and violent clashes have
erupted between citizens and
police. All this, mind you, as a
game changing tsunami bears down on
our shores. We have correspondents
all over this story and we start in
Charleston, South Carolina, where
Richard Engel is witnessing
citizens looting.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
(to Admiral Brancor)
Look at that, Lew. I thought we had
this contained?
EXT. CHARLESTON, S.C. - KING STREET - DAY
Richard Engel points down the street at a police car on fire,
another is being rocked to and fro by masked people.
RICHARD ENGEL
That’s right, Brian. Here in
Charleston, along the well heeled
and heavily shopped King Street,
opportunistic looters are having
their go at merchandise inside
closed businesses. For much of the
past hour we have watched as the
National Guard and Charleston
Police have battled to take back
the streets of this embattled city.
CHARLESTON POLICE OFFICERS march down the street holding
shields.
68.
Masked people throw Molotov cocktails, which explode at the
cops feet.
Looters scurry away with stolen goods in their arms.
RICHARD ENGEL (CONT’D)
The south is under attack tonight,
Brian, reminiscent of the Miami
Riots of 1980 and the situation is
growing more grave by the hour.
A man throws a cinder block into a plate glass window of an
electronics store.
It shatters and crashes to the ground.
MORE looters jump into the window and then dash out with
electronics.
The Charleston Police Officers shoot teargas at the
scattering looters.
RICHARD ENGEL (CONT’D)
And, as tragic as the situation is
here, the looting has overtaken
much of the east coast’s major
cities. There are reports from
Georgia, the Carolinas and, closer
to you, Brian, right there in
Manhattan.
INT. NBC NEWS STUDIO - SAME
Brian Williams stares at a wall monitor behind his anchor
desk where a live shot of LESTER HOLT appears.
BRIAN WILLIAMS
We now join Lester Holt who is down
on the street, however briefly,
right here in Manhattan. Lester?
EXT. MANHATTAN - FIFTH AVENUE - DAY
Lester Holt walks down the middle of Fifth Avenue. It’s
bumper to bumper with traffic.
Horns blare over the scene.
69.
LESTER HOLT
That’s right, Brian. We are in the
middle of chaos on Fifth Avenue as
people attempt to flee the city in
expectation of the worst disaster
since nine eleven.
INT. CAMP DAVID - LAUREL LODGE - DAY
President Harris and his staff stare at the NBC News coverage
on the TV.
LESTER HOLT
(on TV)
This is a much different scene than
we saw just an hour ago, Brian, as
thieves grabbed anything they could
get their hands on.
The image of Lester Holt fades and is replaced by a video of
an NYPD Police Car speeding along Fifth Avenue.
EXT. MANHATTAN - FIFTH AVENUE - EARLIER
A NYPD Police car weaves in and out of traffic.
LESTER HOLT (V.O.)
Manhattan was under attack from the
criminal element as NBC cameras
rolled earlier today. These are
scenes of disgrace in what can only
be described as mayhem here in the
city which never sleeps. And we
want to warn our viewers what you
are about to see is quite violent.
The police car screeches to a halt in front of the Gucci
store.
Two cops leap from the car and are immediately approached and
shot dead by a HOODLUM who exits the Gucci store.
The Hoodlum steps over them, gets into the police car and
speeds down Fifth Avenue.
MORE looters scurry in and out of the shops along Fifth
Avenue.
BACK TO PRESENT
70.
INT. CAMP DAVID - LAUREL LODGE - SAME
The President and his staff stare at TV news coverage from
various cities.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
Jesus, what a mess!
RONALD CLARK
It won’t last much longer, Mr.
President. That’s the satellite
feed of the wave.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
How long before landfall?
SAM
Twenty minutes.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
Where?
SAM
Boston, New York and then south.
EXT. ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND RESORT - DAY
SUPER: Nassau, Bahamas
The resort lay below. The pool and beach are absent any trace
of life.
Passenger buses, vans and limousines speed from the entrance
of the hotel.
EXT. NASSAU AIRPORT - DAY
The buses, vans and limousines drop off hundreds of
passengers in front of the terminal.
They are showing one another to get into the terminal.
On the tarmac, a line of commercial, private and military C-
130 airplanes take off one after another.
EXT. HAVANA PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - DAY
SUPER: Havana, Cuba
Thousands of CUBAN CITIZENS angrily chant and shake their
fists at CUBAN POLICE who stand guard at the palace gates.
71.
CUBAN CITIZENS
(Spanish)
Fidel! Save us from the flood.
INT. HAVANA PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - AN OFFICE - SAME
FIDEL and RAUL CASTRO stare through a window at the Cuban
Citizens chanting below.
A hail of rocks crash into the window and shatter it.
CUBAN CITIZENS
(chanting)
Fidel, save us from the flood!
CUBAN PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS pull Raul and Fidel away from the
window.
The Cuban Military Officer who spoke at the United Nations
steps forward.
CUBAN MILITARY OFFICER
(in spanish)
Come, quickly, Mr. President! We
must evacuate the palace at once!
EXT. HAVANA PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - DAY
MORE cuban citizens climb over the gates, invade the palace
grounds and fight the cuban police.
INT. HAVANA PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - HALLWAY - SAME
The Cuban Military Officer and the Three Cuban Presidential
Guards escort Fidel and Raul through a plush hallway.
CUBAN MILITARY OFFICER
Hurry! Hurry!
INT. HAVANA PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - FOYER - SAME
The front door bursts from it’s hinges and hundreds of ANGRY
cuban citizens charge through the foyer.
CUBAN CITIZEN #1
(spanish)
Down with the pigs!
72.
CUBAN CITIZEN #2
(spanish)
Kill Fidel!
CUBAN CITIZEN #3
(spanish)
Down with the regime!
They dash up the stairs.
EXT. HAVANA PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - ROOF - DAY
The Cuban Military Officer helps Fidel and Raul Castro climb
into a helicopter.
He pulls his gun and shoots the Guards in the head.
MORE cuban citizens charge across the rooftop yelling at the
helicopter.
CUBAN CITIZEN #4
(spanish)
Traitor!
CUBAN CITIZEN #5
(spanish)
Infidels!
Cuban Citizen #4 grabs the helicopter landing rails just as
it lifts off.
He dangles from the helicopter as it flies through the sky.
Below, thousands of Cuban Citizens storm the palace grounds.
INT. CUBAN MILITARY HELICOPTER - DAY
Fidel stares out the window.
The Statue of Neptune, Malecon, lies below on the Havana Bay
surrounded with MORE Cubans pointing into the sky.
FIDEL CASTRO
(to Raul)
Even now they cheer us.
RAUL CASTRO
Sheep to slaughter, my dear
brother!
They laugh at the sight below.
73.
EXT. STATUE OF NEPTUNE, MALECON - DAY
An ALBINO MAN pulls a grenade launcher from a duffle bag and
aims it at the helicopter.
ALBINO MAN
(spanish)
For the people of Cuba, Mr.
President!
He fires the launcher and a grenade streams towards the
helicopter.
INT. CUBAN MILITARY HELICOPTER - DAY
Fidel peers at the grenade heading straight for him.
FIDEL CASTRO
Oh, Dios mío!
EXT. STATUE OF NEPTUNE, MALECON - DAY
The helicopter explodes in a ball of flames and crashes into
the river.
MORE cuban citizens celebrate with fists raised. They are
free!
INT. CAMP DAVID - LAUREL LODGE - LATER
President Harris and his staff stare at the TV screen.
The Red Phone RINGS.
President Harris answers the Red Phone.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
(into phone)
This is the President.
He smiles.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
(into phone)
Son of a bitch, how sure are we?
MILDRED WILSON
What is it, Mr. President?
74.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
(into the phone)
Who has the story, Mike?
He hangs up the Red.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
(to Mildred)
Put on CNN.
Mildred changes the TV to a CNN report showing BROOKE
BALDWIN.
BROOKE BALDWIN
(on TV)
The chopper went down and we are
being told that both Fidel and Raul
Castro were killed when a rocket
propelled grenade shot down their
helicopter as they attempted to
flee the island in expectation of
the catastrophic disaster heading
for the Eastern Atlantic.
MILDRED WILSON
The bastard finally got what he had
coming!
ROBERT LASLOW
Glad I’m not your enemy.
MILDRED WILSON
You’re not my enemy, yet, Robert.
But since you are the Chief of
Staff, you’ll have your chance.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
Down, girl, down.
INT. A LARGE RESEARCH ROOM - DAY
SUPER: Hazard Research Centre - London
Professor Grossman and a group of SCIENTISTS look at a
satellite feed on a large display.
A wall of water moves towards the east coast of the United
States.
75.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
(pointing at the display)
These are images of the wave from
the European Space Agency ERS-1 and
ERS-2 satellites. The data
indicates something much different
than we anticipated.
A YOUNG MAN tears a printout from a machine and hurries
across the room.
YOUNG MAN
(looking at printout)
This is not possible.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
What is it?
YOUNG MAN
The wave height is much greater in
the Eastern Atlantic.
Professor Grossman grabs the printout.
PROFESSOR GROSSMAN
Good Lord, these numbers indicate
total destruction of the U.S.
Coastline.
EXT. BOSTON HARBOUR LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
A caretaker cleans the glass of the lighthouse when he hears
a loud wave crashing.
He glances over his shoulder.
Pleasure Boats tumble into one another as the tsunami
demolishes the lighthouse and continues towards Boston
Harbour.
EXT. BOSTON HARBOUR WATERFRONT - DAY
Bostonians run for their lives but are overtaken by the
tsunami.
EXT. ATOP THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - DAY
Tourists scream and point at the STATUE OF LIBERTY as the
tsunami crashes over her.
They rush across the rooftop and stare into the distance.
76.
The surge moves through Central Park and then into Central
Park West snaking through every building.
Manhattan lies under water.
INT. LAUREL LODGE - DAY
The President and his staff stare at the TV images of
Manhattan skyscrapers protruding from the water.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
Sam, how much longer is this going
to last?
SAMUEL MAY
It’s only a mater of minutes before
it hits Miami.
INT. CHINOOK HELICOPTER - DAY
SUPER: Miami, Florida
Evacuees fill jump seats on either side of the isle, their
faces drawn with uncertainty.
A U.S. SOLDIER makes his way down the isle glancing at the
evacuees.
A BABY CRIES and the U.S. Soldier glances at a HISPANIC WOMAN
rocking the baby in her arms.
Beside her sit an ELDERLY COUPLE.
U.S. SOLDIER
(to woman)
What’s his name?
HISPANIC WOMAN
Enrico.
U.S. SOLDIER
It’ll be fine, miss. We’ll be
landing at Camp Exodus Six in just
a moment.
HISPANIC WOMAN
What is that?
U.S. SOLDIER
A safe haven on the grounds of
Billie Swamp Safari in the
Everglades.
77.
ELDERLY MAN
Will we be safe there, sir?
The U.S. Soldier nods and continues down the isle
disappearing through a door.
INT. CHINOOK COCKPIT - SAME
The U.S. Soldier stands behind the CHINOOK PILOT and his
CHINOOK CO-PILOT.
CHINOOK PILOT
How are the civvies holding up back
there?
U.S. SOLDIER
They’re doing all right.
CHINOOK CO PILOT
We’ll be down on the ground in
minutes.
EXT. ALLIGATOR ALLEY (I-75) - DAY
The Chinook helicopter flies above Alligator Alley.
People abandon their vehicles and flee down the road.
FURTHER ALONG
The Chinook banks away from Alligator Alley and descends
towards a camp.
EXT. BILLIE SWAMP SAFARI - DAY
SUPER: Billie Swamp Safari, Florida Everglades
The Chinook lands in a lot crowded with U.S Army trucks,
civilian buses and cars.
The U.S. Soldier exits the Chinook and helps the evacuees
from the chopper.
FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARDSMEN distribute bottles of water.
An AIR FORCE OFFICER speaks through a bullhorn.
78.
AIR FORCE OFFICER
Please move along. We have food and
water for everyone. Please remain
calm.
The ELDERLY COUPLE make their way through the busy camp and
enter the amphitheater.
INT. AMPHITHEATER - SAME
The Elderly Couple appear through the entrance with MORE
evacuees.
On the wall, a theater screen displays a helicopter shot of
Miami Beach.
WSVN REPORTER (V.O.)
(in mid report)
We now join Ralph Rayburn in Sky
Force Seven. Ralph, I understand
the MacArthur Causeway is still not
clear. What’s going on?
EXT. WSVN 7 SKY FORCE HELICOPTER - DAY
A Bell 407 ENG helicopter with WSVN 7 painted along its side
hovers over Ocean Drive on Miami Beach.
INT. WSVN 7 SKY FORCE HELICOPTER - SAME
RALPH RAYBURN sits beside the WSVN CHOPPER PILOT pointing a
news camera out the window.
RALPH RAYBURN
That’s right, thousands are still
trying to flee Miami Beach, but
traffic is backed up along the
bridge which -
The reporter’s face twists in a grimace of shock.
RALPH RAYBURN (CONT’D)
- Jesus Christ!
Ralph Rayburn places his eye to the viewfinder and points the
news camera at something.
Barreling down on the shores of Miami Beach is a wave fifteen
stories high.
79.
TSUNAMI WAVE POV
The shoreline of Miami Beach lies in the distance.
Military Helicopters of every type are lifting into the sky.
The WSVN Sky Force 7 helicopter hovers above the beach.
INT. WSVN SKY FORCE 7 HELICOPTER - SAME
Ralph Rayburn points the news camera at something below.
People pack the rooftops and Pedestrians frantically dash
along the street.
The tsunami plunges into the hotels, submerges them and
washes away everything.
EXT. MACARTHUR CAUSEWAY - DAY
In the distance lies the skyscrapers of Miami.
The Port of Miami lies below us.
Huge gantry cranes and thousands of stacked shipping
containers sit in the port.
FURTHER ALONG
Two passenger cruise ships are moored to the docks.
Traffic packs the causeway along the westbound lanes.
Thousands of motorists step from their vehicles and point
east.
The tsunami races across the Miami Bay.
ANGLE ON PEOPLE
They scramble in panic along the causeway as Army Black Hawk
helicopters swoop out of the sky and hover over them.
INT. BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER - DAY
Two CREW CHIEFS are huddled in the chopper.
CREW CHIEF #1 attaches a hoisting hook to a rope ladder and
throws it out the jump port.
80.
CREW CHIEF #2 leans out of the jump port and peers at dozens
of people climbing the rope ladder.
Others are pushing and fighting to grasp the bottom rung.
The surge crashes into the vehicles and tumbles them in its
wave heading for the fleeing People.
Crew Chief #2 twirls his finger in the air.
CREW CHIEF #2
(to Crew Chief #1)
Pull it up! Pull it up!
INT. WSVN 7 HELICOPTER - DAY
Ralph Rayburn points the camera through the door of the
helicopter.
The Black Hawks lift into the sky with their rope ladders
crowded with people.
The surge drowns those left behind and pushes the vehicles,
shipping containers and cruise ships towards downtown Miami.
The shipping containers and one of the cruise ships EXPLODES
into Bayside Marketplace.
EXT. METRO RAIL PARAMOUNT STATION - DAY
SUPER: Downtown Miami.
A Metro Mover Car suspended 25 feet above seventh street on
concrete tracks whines to a stop.
INT. METRO MOVER CAR - SAME
A BLACK MAN, CUBAN MAN, WHITE MAN and CUBAN WOMAN are
SCREAMING and pointing out the window.
The second cruise ship, riding atop the surge, demolishes the
roof of the American Airlines Arena and breaks in two.
The stern continues on the surge and destroys the Freedom
Tower.
CUBAN WOMAN
It’s coming straight at us!
CUBAN MAN
Everybody hold on!
81.
WHITE MAN
We gotta get out of here!
The Cuban Woman tries to push the doors open.
CUBAN WOMAN
Come on, guys! Come on! Get the
doors open.
They struggle to open the doors, but they hold.
CUBAN WOMAN (CONT’D)
Oh my God!
The Metro Mover car suddenly jolts back and forth and the
riders are tossed from side to side.
Everyone screams.
EXT. METRO MOVER CAR - DAY
The Metro Mover car dangles over the ledge of the concrete
support about to fall.
INT. METRO MOVER CAR - SAME
The riders creep towards the back of the car and it tilts
level with their weight.
CUBAN WOMAN
Oh, thank God!
BLACK MAN
Nobody move or we will tumble into
the water!
WHITE MAN
We’re not going to make it anyway
if the water rises any higher.
BLACK MAN
Just shut up, man! You’re scaring
the lady.
CUBAN MAN
(to cuban woman)
It’s all right. We’re going to get
out of this, ya hear me?
(to everyone)
We are going to make it!
82.
A helicopter gains their attention and they peer out the
window.
EXT. ABOVE THE METRO MOVER - DAY
The WSVN Helicopter hovers over the Metro Mover car on its
tracks just above the waterline.
RALPH RAYBURN (V.O.)
Holy cow! Will you look at that
Metro Mover! Its a miracle it
hasn’t fallen into the surge!
VARIOUS SHOTS
Miami lies under 30 feet of water in every direction.
American Airlines Arena surrounded by water has the bow of a
cruise ship protruding from its roof.
The skyscrapers have water levels reaching three floors.
Miami Beach is gone.
INT. CAMP DAVID - LAUREL LODGE - LATER
CAMP DAVID PERSONNEL are looking over the shoulders of the
President and his staff.
On the TV are various images showing Miami, New York, Boston
and Washington D.C., all flooded by water.
A phone rings.
A VOICE (O.S.)
Mr. President, it’s the dedicated
line!
President Harris approaches and picks up the Red Phone.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
(into phone)
This is President River Harris.
The President glances toward Sam.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
Sam?
SAM
Yes, Mr. President?
83.
President Harris replaces the phone in its cradle and presses
a button.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
It’s for you.
The President presses the button again.
PRESIDENT HARRIS (CONT’D)
This is the President, Sam can hear
you.
TISH (V.O.)
(over the speakerphone)
Sam? Sam?
SAM
Tish, oh my God! Oh my God!
The President leads everyone from the room.
PRESIDENT HARRIS
We have lots of work to do.
EXT. SPAIN - PORT OF CADIZ - DUSK
SUPER: Cadiz, Spain.
The Valencia life boats are tied up along the pier where
EMERGENCY PERSONNEL attend to Survivors.
TELEVISION REPORTERS, SPANISH SPECTATORS and SPANISH POLICE
crowd the scene.
Pope Callixtus leads Michael through the chaos surrounded by
SWISS GUARDS.
POPE CALLIXTUS
Come on, son, let’s get out of
here.
Reporters push forward yelling questions at the Pope.
Suddenly, Julie emerges from the crowd and calls out to
Michael in the distance.
JULIE
Michael! Michael!
MICHAEL
Mom!
84.
POPE CALLIXTUS
Michael, go to your mother!
Michael and Julie dash to one another and fall to the ground
in an embrace.
Slowly zoom out from scene.
FADE TO
Show a recent day photo of Dr. Simon Day.
SUPER: Dr. Simon Day of the Benfield Greg Hazard Research
Centre continues to warn of a future collapse of Cumbre Vieja
Volcano.
SUPER: The United States National Weather Service continues
to prepare for a possible East Coast mega-tsunami.
FADE OUT.
/ by rj@rjsmithproductions.com
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